Prestige Spending System

Chapter 6

Mr. Sterling nodded without hesitation. "Done. She deserves it for landing a whale like you, sir. And your second condition?"

Julian slowly turned his head to look at Mr. Caldwell. The arrogant manager was sweating heavily, his face totally white with fear.

"Condition number two," Julian said, his voice cold as ice. "Fire him. And throw him out into the rain."

Mr. Caldwell let out a loud cry. "No! Mr. Sterling, please! I have worked here for five years! You cannot do this to me!"

Mr. Sterling did not even look at the manager. He looked at Julian's smartphone, waiting for the money. "Caldwell, you are terminated, effective immediately. Leave your keys on the counter and get out of my store."

"But it is pouring rain outside!" Mr. Caldwell begged, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Then you better start walking fast," Mr. Sterling said coldly. He gestured to the two large security guards standing near the back door. "Escort him out."

The guards grabbed Mr. Caldwell by the arms and dragged him toward the front doors. The manager kicked and screamed, crying loudly. The heavy glass doors opened, and they threw him out onto the cold, wet pavement. The doors clicked shut, leaving him in the exact same spot where Julian had been suffering just an hour ago.

Julian watched him fall into the mud. It was perfect justice.

Julian tapped his glowing phone against the card reader.

BEEP. APPROVED.

The receipt machine began to print a massive, incredibly long piece of paper. Two and a half million dollars had just been spent. Maya burst into happy, uncontrollable tears, covering her face as Mr. Sterling shook Julian’s hand with a massive smile.

Suddenly, Julian’s phone vibrated violently in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the black screen. Golden letters began to flash rapidly.

[Massive Transaction Confirmed: $2,500,000.00]

[Public Impact: Extraordinary Shock, Awe, and Deep Gratitude generated.]

[Reward: 15 Prestige Points earned!]

[Current Prestige Points: 30 / 100.]

[Milestone Reached: 30 Points. Generating Special Reward...]

[Reward Granted: Attribute Boost - Charisma & Physique Enhancement.]

Julian read the glowing words. "Physique Enhancement? What does that mean?" he whispered to himself.

"Sir?" Maya asked, wiping her happy tears. "Your new clothes are ready in the VIP dressing room. You are soaking wet. Please, go change into your new Vicuña suit."

"Thank you, Maya," Julian said.

He walked into the large, mirrored dressing room and closed the heavy wooden door behind him. He set his phone on a small table and began to unbutton his ruined, muddy shirt.

The moment his shirt hit the floor, a sudden, intense wave of heat washed over his entire body.

Julian gasped and grabbed the edge of the mirror. It felt as if he had just stepped into a boiling hot shower. The heat rushed through his veins, spreading from his chest down to his arms and legs. It did not hurt, but it was incredibly powerful.

He looked at his reflection in the tall mirror and watched in absolute shock.

The dark, ugly bruises on his ribs—given to him by Marcus's security guards—faded away right before his eyes, disappearing into smooth skin. His shoulders rolled back naturally, his posture suddenly becoming perfectly straight and proud. He could feel his muscles tightening and expanding. His chest grew broader. His arms looked stronger and more defined.

Even his face seemed to change slightly. The exhaustion and stress of the past year melted away. His jawline looked sharper. His skin looked clear and healthy. His eyes were bright and piercing. The mysterious System was physically optimizing his body, turning him into the best possible version of himself.

The heat faded away as quickly as it had arrived, leaving Julian breathing heavily.

He stared at the stranger in the mirror. He no longer looked like a tired, beaten-down junior analyst. He looked powerful. He looked wealthy. He looked untouchable.

Julian quickly dressed in the dark, elegant three-piece Vicuña suit he had bought earlier. He slipped on the handmade Italian leather shoes. He fastened the sparkling diamond cufflinks to his silk shirt. Finally, he strapped the heavy platinum watch to his wrist.

The bespoke suit fit him flawlessly, hugging his newly enhanced shoulders as if it had been perfectly tailored just for him.

Julian pushed open the dressing room door and stepped back into the main boutique.

The room went completely quiet again.

Maya, Mr. Sterling, and the senior tailors simply stared at him. Their mouths hung open. The muddy, broken man who had walked into the store was completely gone. In his place stood a man who radiated absolute authority and charm. He looked like a literal movie star. He looked like a billionaire CEO who owned half the world.

"Sir..." Mr. Sterling breathed out, totally amazed. "You look... incredible."

"Thank you," Julian said smoothly. His own voice sounded deeper, richer, and more confident than ever before. "Maya, you are now my personal shopper. Whatever I need in the future, I will call you directly."

"Yes, Mr. Musk! Thank you!" Maya bowed deeply, a huge smile on her face.

Julian nodded to them and walked confidently toward the front of the store. He pushed open the heavy gold-plated doors and stepped out into the night.

The rain had finally stopped. The city streets were wet and reflecting the bright streetlights. The air smelled fresh and clean. Julian took a deep breath, feeling stronger than he had ever felt in his entire life. He had thirty Prestige Points. He was thirty percent of the way to saving his sister Lily.

Suddenly, his golden phone vibrated sharply in his hand. A bright red emergency prompt flashed across the screen.

[Targeted Mission Triggered.]

[Event Detected: Marcus Rutherford is hosting a high-society charity gala tonight at the Platinum Grand Hotel to celebrate his "new" algorithm.]

[Mission Budget Provided: $5,000,000.00.]

[Objective: Crash the gala. Steal the spotlight. Humiliate the target.]

[Reward: High Prestige Points Yield.]

Julian read the words carefully. Marcus Rutherford. The man who had ruined his life. The man who had stolen his hard work and laughed at him in the rain. Marcus was throwing a massive party tonight to celebrate the very thing he had stolen from Julian.

Julian thought about his sick sister. He needed points. And Marcus’s high-society party was filled with rich, arrogant elites. It was the perfect place to create shock and awe. It was the perfect place to farm Prestige Points.

Julian looked down at his diamond cufflinks and smoothed the lapels of his forty-thousand-dollar suit. A cold, dangerous smile spread across his face.

"A charity gala," Julian whispered to the empty street. "It looks like I have a party to crash."